I've Missed You
by Dark Satirist
Summary: Tag of sorts to 5.17 and spoilerish not really toward 5.18. It is the end of the war and Sam and Dean have a serious heart to heart.


**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Supernatural**_** or any of its characters. Warning: I wrote this in like... twenty minutes, so any mistakes are my own.**

**Author's Note: I know, I know, I completely suck at updating my stories, specifically **_**You Found Me**_**. I wish I could say not to fear, that the next update will be coming soon, but… it probably won't be. I've been sick and life just keeps catching up to me. It sucks. I know. But hopefully, I can tide you over with this little one shot, if only for a little while.**

**Author's Note 2: I just finished watching the latest episode (I stayed up late and watched it on the Internet) and watching the promo for next week's episode when this idea hit me. It's not much—just some brotherly love and yet another post-apocalypse fic from me—but it's my version of what's going to happen in the next few episodes. I'll admit, after watching tonight's episode (the end made NO SENSE whatsoever, by the way… it was way too random… and if you want to hear a full rant, then message me) and next week's promo, I was close to punching something. I am getting fed up with no brotherly love. Is anyone else?? So, I wrote this. And it kind of sucks, but it's cute and I love the ending. **

**So. Here's to brotherly love and hope that we see some in the very close future. And that it goes both ways and that both brothers break down and have a giant crying fest and HUG!!! They don't hug in this, but they could have easily. **

**I've Missed You**

**Chapter One**

The battle was over. The Winchester brothers, Castiel, Bobby, and a select few others had magically won. Dean and Sam hadn't seen each other since Dean went on his quest to say yes to Michael. They hadn't spoken one word to each other, not on the phone or through letters. But somehow, they had both known exactly where to be for the final battle, the one that would determine which version of hell would rule Earth.

They had won, but at a serious price. There had been severe casualties. Dean was the only one who had made it through the mess fully unscathed, but then again, he had a guardian angel on his shoulder.

Now, the survivors of the huge war were gathered in a circle, none exactly sure what to say to each other. Nearby, the wounded were being tended to.

"I, uh, I'm going on a beer run," Bobby muttered, before wheeling himself to his truck. Castiel and a few others joined him, leaving Sam and Dean on their own for the first time in over two months.

The two brothers stood there in an awkward silence.

"Well, uh, it looks like you were wrong after all," Sam said, his voice cracking slightly.

Dean looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow in shock and disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"You—you said that we were going to be dead in two months," Sam said, shrugging one shoulder. "You were wrong."

Dean looked as though he wasn't sure if he wanted to deck Sam or hug him.

"Yeah, I guess I was wrong," he said. "I'm glad."

Sam looked pissed.

"That's all you can say?" he demanded. "That _you're glad?_"

"What the hell do you want me to say, Sam?" Dean demanded, dropping all pretense of being awkward. "That I'm happy over a million people are dead? I'm not. That I'm super excited that Michael and Lucifer nearly killed _you_ on account of trying to get you to say yes? I'm not. That I am so damn joyful I was nearly killed by the bastard Zachariah after I agreed to do whatever the hell he wanted just because I took too damn long making the fucking decision?"

Sam looked away, biting his lip in frustration.

"No, Dean," he said softly.

Dean didn't miss the undercurrent of anger in his brother's tone, but he didn't understand it. What the hell did Sam have to be angry about?

"Then what should I say?" Dean asked, softening his voice as well.

"That you're sorry, for one," Sam growled, spinning back around. Dean had forgotten that his brother was so damn tall. And he had forgotten just how scary a pissed Sam was.

"I'm _sorry_?" Dean demanded.

"Yeah, you should be," Sam retorted. "Sorry for ever abandoning us in the middle of fucking Minnesota. Sorry that you ran off to be with Lisa before going to the angels and demanding that you become Michael's vessel. Sorry that you ever abandoned--."

He stopped speaking abruptly and turned around again. Dean stood there in a stunned silence. It was one of the few times in his life that he didn't know what to say to his brother. It was one of the few times in his life that he wondered if there was anything he _could_ say to make things all right between them again.

"Sam," Dean began.

"You never call me Sammy anymore," Sam said, his back still turned to Dean. "You know, I used to hate that nickname, but I think I hate the fact that you don't call me it _more_."

"Sammy," Dean tried again.

"You were the one person I could always count on, Dean," Sam continued as if Dean hadn't spoken. "You were the one person that no matter what I did, you would still be there for me. You had every right to just give up on me when I betrayed you the way I did, but you didn't. You were always there. Always. Until now."

"I wasn't always there," Dean disagreed softly, finally understanding what had made his brother so upset. He understood, probably better then anyone else. He had been abandoned enough times in his life.

"Yes, you were," Sam whispered. "Until Blue Earth. And then you just gave up. You _gave up_, Dean."

He turned back around, his brown eyes giving the full on puppy dog expression that made Dean's heart shatter into a million pieces. Because this was _Sammy_, after all. The one person that made his life so much easier. And so much harder at the same time.

"I know why you did it," Sam continued, refusing to meet Dean's gaze. "I know why. And I get it. I saw it coming. But I guess I never really fully expected you to go through with it. You know, just leave like that. Just give up on fighting. Give up on--."

Again he trailed off and again, Dean could fill in the blanks.

"Sammy," Dean whispered, uncertain if he could say anything else.

Sam shook his head. It took Dean a moment to realize that the rest of his brother was shaking too.

"Dean," Sam said, just as quietly. "I told you that I couldn't handle it alone. I told you that you were the only reason why I kept fighting. And you still left. You still gave up."

"I'm sorry, Sammy," Dean said. "I should have been there more. I should have tried harder."

"You left, even after you told me time and time again that you weren't going anywhere," Sam murmured.

Dean placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, feeling his heart wrench painfully as he felt the shaking.

"I came back," he said. "I might have left, but _I came back_."

"Why?" Sam asked. "Why did you?"

"Because someone had to look after you, my pain in the ass little brother," Dean said, smiling slightly, hoping for a response in return.

Sam smiled. It was a painful, sad, heart broken smile, but it was still a smile.

"I've missed you Dean," he said quietly.

"I've missed you, too, Sammy," Dean replied.

**And commence the reviewing/crying/AWWW moment. Hehe. You are not required to review, but if the urge strikes you, feel free. **

**Oh, and by the way, this has to be some sort of record. I do believe that this is the first **_**Supernatural**_** FanFiction I have ever written that doesn't involve some serious Sam whumpage. It was, originally, but then I liked this more. But if you want another chapter, then I can bring out my boxing gloves and beat Sam up some and have Dean look after him and then have a huge crying binge. Just saying. It's up to you. **


End file.
